


Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

by cheshireree (shyfoxes)



Category: Free!
Genre: Being Sousuke is Suffering, Dorks in Love, M/M, Matsuoka Rin is a Tease, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Rin is a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6507706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/cheshireree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin and Sousuke drive each other crazy and then make an embarrassing discovery.</p><p>For Kei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

The first time Rin considered that _maybe_ being romantic could actually be a problem, Sousuke Yamazaki had come back into his life. He’d known, though initially begrudgingly, that he’d been a guy who fell in love with people, things at first sight. But as it stood, he was also a guy who had a tendency to _stay_ in love with things that captured him. It may have taken him a while, but glancing over to Sousuke’s stoic, seemingly blank face only assured Rin more.

He had, after all, fallen in love of sorts with Sousuke the first time he saw him. He had spotted him walking alone while he and Gou were also headed home. He had eyed that empty space next to Sousuke on the sidewalk and immediately thought that that’s where he wanted to be. Sousuke may not have necessarily looking lonely walking by himself, but there were times, as he and Gou followed behind a ways away, that he glanced towards some of the others from their school and almost seemed a bit longing. Sousuke had huffed and kept on walking. Rin had squeezed Gou’s hand in his without really realizing.

The next day he had all but tripped over himself in endearing (read: annoying) himself to Sousuke. But the joke was on Sousuke because, since Gou was going home with a friend that day, it meant that he had achieved what he wanted: that now newly filled spot next to Sousuke on their way home.

The Sousuke  of now was more than Rin could even bargain for. He was too much, if he was being honest.

He was still taller than Rin, so much broader, with a wide span of shoulders, and biceps that Rin sometimes held himself back from grabbing, and wow had his voice really gotten that deep? He remembered calling Sousuke once in middle school during his time abroad just in time to hear Sousuke’s voice cracking as it was changing. Who would have thought all that laughing at his friend’s expense would come back to bite him so hard in the ass.

Rin knew Sousuke wasn’t as completely no-nonsense and brick-wall as he presented himself. It was easy enough for Rin to pick out when he messed with poor Ai as the younger boy introduced himself, or in the way he hid a muffled laugh when Momo hit his head while swimming blindly during his backstroke.

But still. Rin bit his lip, eyeing Sousuke, helpless in thought that Sousuke seemed so experienced, having lived most of his time in Tokyo, probably chasing boys and girls, and rising to a level that drove Rin crazy with competitive vigor.

So if his voice got a little breathy and soft when he spoke to him, or maybe he cocked his hip more, or leaned too much into his space, and touched him a little more, what was there to say? He couldn’t very well let Sousuke off the hook in thinking _he_ was the only one who had changed.

Rin may not have even got his first kiss yet, but dammit if he was going to let Sousuke know.

-

Sousuke was going crazy. He thanked whoever for having learned to cultivate such a wonderful resting bitch-face. He could appear as blank and intimidating as he wanted without really giving away how much he was internally screaming. Only Rin, and Gou, could really pick out little hints of body language that proved contrary.  But the fact of the matter was he was going crazy – _Rin_ was driving him crazy.

Who would have thought secretly crushing on him during elementary school, and then getting asked out of the blue by said crush to walk home together would have escalated into _this_. He hadn’t really even known back then that it was a crush that made him so easily attracted to Rin. He had been bright and confident when they were children and Sousuke had naturally fallen into a sort of admiration. The longer time spent together had blown things out of proportion for Sousuke, and he had been stuck nursing a silly crush alongside a love of swimming all these years.

Sousuke’s breath caught in his throat the moment Rin had strode up to him after class, hands in his pockets and face so haughty and sure that Sousuke’s stomach did a back flip. Rin had aged so well. He was fit and dangerous in the water, dangerous with those teeth, dangerous with that cute ponytail and low riding sweatpants. Sousuke had had to will himself too many times during that first week together to keep his eyes strictly on Rin’s face for Rin not to notice.

Even worse still was that Rin’s need to orbit and touch hadn’t left him. He was pushing himself into Sousuke’s personal space, something he did as a child often. He was leaning over him and brushing his hands on his wrists and arms. Rin was saying his name in a way that made Sousuke’s stomach want to drop straight through his belly and made him heat up enough to just want to stay submerged under water all day.

Rin had obviously learned a lot of things during his time abroad, and that year he didn’t contact him while he had returned. It made Sousuke sweaty and excited and far too embarrassed.

He hoped Rin didn’t notice he was going to the bathroom so often. It had started out for a completely different reason that he was not yet ready to tell Rin, and had morphed, horribly, embarrassingly, into something else.

-

Rin leaned over Sousuke’s shoulder, making sure his chest was pressing lightly against Sousuke’s back. They were in their dorms for the day, an off-day on the weekend from the hellish training Rin had given the team during the week to do homework and review training regiments. Rin had dressed as he always had in that tight tank top and loose sweatpants. He had smugly caught Sousuke’s vision dropping down to the V of his hips disappearing into the fabric of the waistband. He had acted as if it were nothing after, simply continuing with whether or not Rin had gotten the answer to number 6 on their homework. Rin ran with it anyway.

Sousuke seemed to stiffen for a moment before he was canting his head to address Rin. Rin prayed he couldn’t feel his heart hammering in his chest and forced himself to stay matter-a-fact as he spoke.

“What do you think of these training regiments?” Rin asked. “I bumped a few more exercises up for Minami but figured they weren’t as necessary for Uozomi. Ai did his already and it looks good. He’s a quick learner.”

Sousuke looked a him a moment longer before he turned to address the paper. Rin was thankful he hadn’t started blushing. Sousuke bent his head and scanned the paper. He apparently didn’t notice Rin’s hand coming to rest on Sousuke’s desk to keep him levered over him as he bumped a hand against his wrist with a quick apology and reached around to grab another pencil since the one he had had rolled away when Rin interrupted him.

“I think you can add this one in instead, three more reps to work on his kick,” Sousuke replied. “Nitori’s is looking well, but I think soon it will be time to tweak it if he wants to be more competitive. Otherwise, good eye, Captain.”

Sousuke sent a lazy smile at him as he handed back the paper. Rin nearly all but died.

-

Maybe it was Sousuke that was the romantic all along because there was no way Rin could be conscious of how much he was driving Sousuke up the wall. It was bad enough that Rin dressed the way he did, but now Sousuke was struggling to act as if it didn’t affect him. Did Rin suspect? There was no way he didn’t after Sousuke stayed too long eyeing the taut muscles of his stomach under that shirt and the sliver of skin under his navel. Sousuke could just ram his head through a wall.

He didn’t.

Sousuke’s back still felt warm from the few places Rin had been touching him. He hesitantly reached behind him to rub the back of his neck. He could hear Rin shuffling around behind him on his bunk, probably organizing the training regiments for the team.

“Rin,” Sousuke called. “Do you want to go out for a snack? I’m going crazy just sitting here.”

Rin chuckled, “We haven’t even been doing homework for that long, you big baby. We still have another page of math to do.”

Sousuke pouted, turning to Rin. He tried to brand the image of Rin lounging so easily on his bunk into his mind.

“But we already finished Literature and Science,” Sousuke said. “At least let’s go take a walk.”

Rin rolled his eyes. It should be illegal to get off a bed like that.

“Fine. But only because I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t indulge you a little,” Rin said. He heaved a dramatic sigh. “As if I don’t indulge you enough already.”

He walked over to Sousuke and kneed him in the thigh with a shit-eating grin. Sousuke wanted to grab a hold of his ankle but didn’t. Sousuke smiled despite how turbulent and sweaty he felt.

“As if you’re actually complaining,” Sousuke joked.

-

They ended up hoofing it to a konbini not too far from the school. They walked close, even closer than normal if Rin’s sudden Sousuke-proximity-radar was correct. They had always been that way, he supposed, but maybe Rin was finally just realizing how much he and Sousuke tended to share an air bubble. Whether it was because he had gotten mad as a child at him for getting lost that one time Rin had looked away and forced him to keep a hand on his bag or shirt afterwards or because they had simply just evolved into that frame of mind, Rin didn’t know.

He could feel Sousuke’s knuckles brushing against him though he kept his face resolutely forward. Rin himself had dug his hands into his pockets to avoid any impulsiveness. It was frustrating how much he was clearly trying to seduce his dumb-ass friend without any results, and how much it felt as if he was embarrassing himself because Sousuke was actually the one making him so smitten and stupid. Sousuke wasn’t even _doing_ anything. Not really.

Maybe.

“Rin,” Sousuke said, as Rin stood back up from getting them each a glass bottle of cola from the fridges in the back. He brushed a stray strand of Rin’s hair behind his ear. “You were almost eating your own hair. Who knows what trouble you’ll cause if your hair isn’t to your standards?”

Rin forced himself to frown, pushing the hand basket into Sousuke’s chest as he placed the bottles into it. Sousuke looked startled before he began laughing.

Rin scoffed for good measure. “You don’t even have to worry about your hair. Look at you. You wake up and its fine.”

Sousuke grinned smugly, picking up a handful of the snacks Rin knew Ai liked but didn’t think Sousuke did. A pack of fruit snacks for Momo were magically in that pile, too. God, Rin felt so enamored it should be disgusting.

“Hey, you’re the one that shaves his whole body for better water resistance but spends the most time on his hair before we leave anywhere,” Sousuke joked.

“One of us has to care about presentation, you big dork,” Rin said. “You own like two shirts and this jacket. I need to take you shopping. Maybe next Saturday. You’ll treat me to lunch for my kindness.”

Sousuke snickered, reaching for the sauce on the top shelf Rin just about reached with his left hand. Their hands brushed before Rin was slowly retracting his. Rin would never get tired of how much he loved how tall Sousuke was.

“I guess I’ll have to break it to Gou then that her big brother is blowing off their outing to go on a date instead,” Sousuke said absently.

Rin nearly choked. “You might as well. You’re not on her shit list currently. She’ll react better if it’s you.”

Sousuke laughed again, nudging Rin along. He looked at him fondly.

“Seriously spend some time with her, though, Rin,” Sousuke said, softly. “Maybe we’ll make it a day for the three of us, instead.”

Rin tried to will away the feeling of slight disappointment.

-

Sousuke was stupid, so, _so_ , stupid. The word date had left his mouth before he had even thought about it. But Rin had only blinked and kept on. He was probably safe. Hopefully.

Rin had passed off the shopping bags into Sousuke’s arms as he tied up his loose hair into that damned ponytail that Sousuke really liked. Rin took back one of the bags and they continued on their way back to the dorms.

The trip was quiet, but comfortable. It felt like old times when they’d walk home together and all Sousuke would have to do is look to the side and there Rin was. Real, humming and smiling to himself. Sousuke supposed that was the moment he had really realized his feelings back then.

“Rin,” Sousuke said, a bit hesitant. “It feels good to be walking together again, doesn’t it? Brings back memories.”

Rin looked at him curiously before breaking into a grin, one that really mirrored the child-Rin. Sousuke couldn’t help grinning back.

“Yeah, it does. Only this time we don’t have to part ways. The times you got to sleep over were the best because we’d get to hang out longer.”

Sousuke huffed contently. He remembered that. Rin used to always hesitate a bit when it came time for him to leave Sousuke at his house and continue on a little bit more onto his house.

“That time you were sick and I couldn’t come over in the fourth grade, do you remember? Your mom and mine got really mad at us for begging,” Sousuke said.

“I remember,” Rin laughed. “I cried, didn’t I? Oi, don’t make that type of face! It was unfair. We had been planning it all week. Our first ever sleepover and I ruined it and got sick.”

“It was fine, though, wasn’t it? I came over the week after you got better,” Sousuke placated.

“True. Though, the weekend we were supposed to have it, you talked to me on the phone until I finally fell asleep,” Rin said, wistful.

“You remember even that? Jeez, that’s embarrassing,” Sousuke snickered. “You kept begging me to not hang up and I was getting tired, too, and really its a good thing you fell asleep first. Or maybe you would have cried and gotten mad and not invite me over the next weekend.”

Rin snorted. “Even if I did get mad, I’d still make you come over. That way I could pester you about it.”

“The truth finally comes out. Well, it doesn’t matter. I had a lot of fun then.”

“And now?”

“Maybe not as much fun because you’ve become such a clean freak,” Sousuke said, barely fending off a whack to his head. “But – I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good,” Rin mumbled. “Me neither.”

-

By Sunday Rin couldn’t take it anymore. He was pent up and frustrated and no amount of swimming and running or homework was getting rid of it. Sousuke seemed all right despite Rin’s excess of energy. If anything, he was praising Rin for being so active, though he did warn about overdoing it. Rin wanted to tear his hair out.

He had evolved from trying to tease Sousuke to see if he was interested into actually becoming a giant baby for Sousuke’s attention. Sousuke didn’t even seem to mind. He let Rin touch him without as much of a bat of his eye, and let Rin whine and moan and complain at him like he’d always done.

The final straw was when Rin had come in to their dorm in time to see Sousuke pulling that horribly tight-ass Samezuka polo over his head and down over his torso, leaving Rin way too thirsty for someone who had taken a lap in the pool for good measure that morning while Sousuke, the lazy jerk, slept away in his bunk.

Rin had had it then and there and grabbed Sousuke by his collar. He pulled him down harshly by it and frowned heavily.

“Do you honestly have no idea what you do to me?” Rin hissed. “I don’t know what’s worse. Me throwing myself at you and thinking you don’t think the same, or you obviously teasing the hell out of me because you _are_ interested!”

Sousuke’s mouth dropped open, eyes wide as he studied Rin. The seconds ticked by before Rin could see the exact moment Sousuke’s brain had caught up. Sousuke wrapped his hands around Rin’s wrists. He tugged.

“So you _were_ seducing me,” Sousuke accused. If it were any other time Rin may have died of laughter. “I thought you were just being an asshole! God, Rin, I’ve been afraid you’d notice one of my arms is bigger than the other because of this shit.”

Rin’s glare hardened. “Are you seriously telling me you noticed? But didn’t think anything of it? I thought you were experienced, you idiot! Can’t you catch a hint?”

“Experienced?” Sousuke said, almost scandalized.  “I’ve never dated, what the hell Rin.”

Rin paused then. “You – You’ve never dated? What about kissing?”

Sousuke let go of one of his wrists to scratch the back of his neck. “No one, to be honest. I’ve just been focusing on swimming.” _And you_ , went unsaid. 

Rin’s grip slackened but he didn’t let of Sousuke. He studied him looking for a lie but saw none and felt utterly stupid. Sousuke seemed to sag a bit into him as he calmed at Rin’s expression.

“We’re both idiots, then?” Sousuke mumbled. “I could have slept an extra hour in.”

Rin rolled his eyes and started to push Sousuke back until his knees hit the bottom bunk. He pushed again until Sousuke got the hint and bent to sit on it. Rin climbed up on him, straddling his hips as he regarded his friend. Sousuke was flushed, wide-eyed and openly enamored with the way Rin was looking at him as he laid back on his elbows on the bed. It made Rin smug and silly.  He laid a hand to Sousuke’s chest. His heart was beating almost as fast as Rin’s.

“We know now, though,” Rin said, voice cracking a bit. “We can finally do stuff.”

“Like kissing,” Sousuke blurted, then cleared his throat.

“Like kissing,” Rin repeated, shy and excited. “And maybe other stuff?”

Sousuke nodded eagerly. “Yeah, anything you want, Rin.”

Rin pulled his sweatshirt over his head, a loose tank top underneath, watching Sousuke’s eyes widen. He sat up too fast and hit his head on the top of the bunk. They both cursed as Rin threw the shirt aside to rub at the back of Sousuke’s head. Sousuke opened one eye to look at Rin with boyish embarrassment.

Rin sighed fondly and pressed a kiss to Sousuke’s forehead. Sousuke pressed him closer for a hug.

“It looks like we’ve both got a lot to learn,” Rin said.

Sousuke propped his chin up on Rin’s chest. “It’ll be fine. We’ll learn together.”

Rin smiled as he held Sousuke’s face and leaned down for a kiss. It was worth all the embarrassment in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Kei & I were talking and discovered our love for mutally dorky SouRins. Like, each of them so overwhelmed by how much they like each other that they just make gigantic fools out of themselves. I owe her a personal fic some other time, but I couldn’t resist this.
> 
> Also, I swear I’ll die forever and a day about hand holding. I love hand holding. I can’t help myself, so I think you’ll notice its a recurring theme for me.
> 
> I think i've overloaded the tag enough for now loool. (I feel a little too bad when I do, soooo, I won't post again for a good little while.)
> 
> edit: fixed tiny mistakes


End file.
